Second Best
by desertwolf4
Summary: Nikola Tesla can't have what he wants, what he loves, and his attentions turn to the next best thing, the protege. But how will Will react to the new attention from the vampire he is pretty sure would kill him. SLASH
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** So I have no idea what made me A. Think of this pairing. B. Made me actually want to try writing it. But here's the result!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Sanctuary

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**Chapter 1**

It was in the halls of the library that the vampire's fell on the protégé of his old friend. The male was sitting at a table, hand buried in his short hair, a frustrated look on his face that pulled at the corners of the vampire's lips. It was a strangely attractive sight, to watch the protégé struggle with the whip of his boss striking the backs of his heels. As silent as grave, he leaned against a near by bookcase, allowing his eyes to travel over the other male's body, never really having bothered to risk a glance before. There were very few times that he had actually met the supposedly brilliant Dr. William Zimmerman, but the good doctor's attentions were set else where, whether it was to the book that lay open on the table or some thought that was driving him made, something was bothering him.

The sound of Will's beating heart was like the slow steady drum that played its beat in the background of a soft love song, music to his ears, enticing him to approach the lonely human, to touch his skin, to… Nikola scolded himself; wrinkling his nose in protest at the images and thoughts his mind was supplying him with. The doctor was off limits unless he really wanted to piss off Magnus (not to mention just about everyone in the Sanctuary…perhaps even the whole Sanctuary network…). No, his mind would just have to search elsewhere for a fantasy to distract him from the nagging sensation in the back of his mind, and the pit of his stomach. "What are you doing?" Nikola's dark eyes snapped up to see Will staring directly at him with a tired look on his face.

"Well, you know dear William I was going to ask you the same thing, but you looked so tantalizing just sitting there all alone I couldn't help myself but stare." His voice was laced with sarcasm, even though everything he had just said was completely true, Will would never believe him since it was so outlandish to begin with. The look of sheer disbelief (and slight horror) on Will's face proved his theory to be correct. "Now if you'll excuse me I have much more…interesting things to attend to than listening to you, the protégé." Nikola brushed pass Will, almost instantly regretting it as the feel of Will's heartbeat, his blood being pumped through his veins sent his senses reeling. It was definitely time to get out of there. As he left he could feel Will's eyes staring after him, following him.

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Will's eyes followed Tesla's path out of the library from his seat at the table, one hand resting on the book he had been so diligently reading before the sneaking suspicion that he was being watched crept into his body. From working with Magnus, Will was able to tell when he was being watched, at least for the most part, so it wasn't hard for him to realize that the vampire was staring at him from a safe distance away. The reason why he did that was something Will's mind just couldn't seem to grasp, not to mention the fact that Tesla's reason had been completely ridiculous to begin with. The mere thought of it sent a chill down his spine. With a sigh, Will closed the book he had been reading and left the library, a visible limp in his left leg that he was trying desperately to hide. It was during a recent mission he had been on, his knee had taken the brunt of a very powerful hit and he was trying to act like nothing was wrong, if only so the others wouldn't worry about him. They had other things that needed their attention besides his sore knee.

As he glanced at his watch, Will hurried, quickening his pace to get to Magnus's office before she left on another trip to meet with an 'old friend.' Will hadn't pressed the matter of where she was going, but he at least wanted to see his mentor off safely (and hear any last minute instructions she might have for him). Yet by the time Will got to her office, she was gone, but Tesla was there. "If I didn't know any better I swear you were following me Will." The smirk on Tesla's face made Will want to send a bullet right into his chest. "She told me to tell you she'll be in touch tonight, and to stay out of trouble. Think you can handle that?"

The glare he sent Tesla would have scared anyone, but of course Tesla just stood there, arms folded over his chest, watching him. The pain in his knee was starting to get worse, forcing him to sit down in the nearest chair. "Fine, thank you Tesla," he grumbled, his hand unconsciously rubbing at his knee.

"Don't take that tone of voice with me Will. You may be Helen's pride and joy, but I have no qualms about making things…interesting."

"Can you just leave me alone or are you that desperate cure your boredom?"

"As you wish Will, but know this. I don't go willingly, I just don't feel like enduring whatever that mind of yours is planning." Tesla left the room swiftly, leaving Will alone. He slumped down in the chair, eyes closed, hoping that Magnus would get back soon.

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**Okay so I'm not entirely sure I nailed Nikola's personality, but I will eventually. As for what's up with Will's knee...I completely and totally made that part up. **

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	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Here's the second chapter for you all. I hope you like it!

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**Chapter 2**

Will rubbed his sore knee, an action that was starting to become something of a habit for him whenever he was feeling wary of the world around him. It wasn't like there was something major going on; there weren't even any new cases that they had to investigate. No, it was the silence that was unnerving him, the complete silence as the rest of the residents of the Sanctuary slept, but Will couldn't. When his eyes would close, nightmares would return. Nightmares involving his mother, what happened when his leg was injured, memories that he would just soon forget. Normally, he would read to try and help him fall to sleep if and when he couldn't. However the encounter with Tesla was still fresh in his mind, another reason why his nerves were preventing him from sleeping. It was how he found himself in the kitchen, searching for something to eat before he went down to check on the others. Settling on just a bottle of water, Will headed for the elevator and as soon as he was inside and heading down, he leaned against the wall. So maybe it would have been a smart idea to actually tell Magnus, Henry, or the Big Guy about his leg and just how much it was bothering him.

When the elevator came to a stop, Will got out walking into the center of the large room before he sat down, eyes shut, taking a long drink from his water bottle. None of the residents were awake, but at least he felt less alone currently than he did up in his room. If Henry was awake, then perhaps he would have told him about his knee, but seeing how Henry was probably fast asleep, that wasn't an option. His eyes traveled over each of the habitats, the occupants' asleep inside. His fingers brushed over his pant leg before pulling it up, wincing. Will's knee was bruised, cuts that were deeper than the rest were still oozing blood if pressure was applied, and the area around his knee was swollen. It had only been about week since it had happened, he hadn't expected much progress healing wise, but had hoped.

The sounds of footsteps echoing in the dark room made Will's heart race, suddenly wishing he had not decided to go down there. As he glanced over his shoulder, he saw the figure of the one abnormal he had wished would be nowhere near him. The vampire was wearing a white lab coat that covered the rest of his impressive and formal outerwear. The grin that was on Tesla's face made Will desperately wish he had some sort of weapon. "What's the matter William? I thought you'd be happy to see someone who could deal with that leg of yours."

"Stay away from me Tesla," Will said in a low voice, every muscle in his body was tense. Under normal circumstances, Will probably wouldn't have been so tense, but his leg…Will was very aware of the fact that there was no way that the vampire would not have picked up on the scent of blood. Will watched as the vampire shook his head and approached him. "What are you even still doing awake?"

Tesla knelt down next to him, and Will leaned back away from him. "Just working, trying to get something done before Helen got back. Now will you just relax and let me take a look?"

"No thanks, I can wait till Magnus gets back."

The vampire scoffed and shook his head, ignoring Will completely. "Fine suit yourself, if it gets infected and becomes worse don't say I didn't try." As Will watched Tesla disappeared as fast as he had appeared.

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Infuriating, that's what he was Will Zimmerman was completely infuriating. Did the boy really think that he, Nikola Tesla, would be foolish enough to try and harm him within the Sanctuary? Did Will really think he would go against his vow of not feeding from humans as much as his body and mind desired that he did? The growl that settled in the back of Nikola's throat was short lived as he sat back down at the lab bench from where he had been working, but his mind was no longer in it. The image of Will sitting on the floor, one pant leg rolled up, the glare in his eyes, and the scent of his blood… Nikola rested his head against the cool metal of the lab bench, eyes shut tight. No, he had to fight it, he had to or else he was bound to do something he would regret. If only Helen were there, perhaps she would hold some strange advice as to what he should do, though probably it would be to vanish. Yet Nikola couldn't do that, not until Helen was back. Till then, he had to make sure that someone knew about Will's knee, whether he liked it or not. He may not be a medical doctor as the normal definition of the term, but he could tell when an injury was going from bad to worse.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note:** For those of you who read this story, thank you for your patience. I honestly thought I had posted this chapter already, apparently not only had I not, I hadn't even finished it. Anyways I hope you like it!

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**Chapter Three**

The triumphant smirk on Nikola's face showed the complete satisfaction he was gaining from listening to Will attempting to convince Helen that he didn't need to have Nikola look at his leg and take care of it. Will was failing miserably to achieve his goal, his words were full of stammering and he was clearly flustered. Why did he have to explain all of this to Helen Magnus? Well, Nikola might have called her to inform the lady of Will's limping that appeared (to him at least) to be quite painful and his rejection of the help that he had offered the poor injured boy. All the pieces had fallen into place and now he was able to watch his plan take shape. There was no way that Will could reject the help now. The phone clicked as Will put it back in the receiver and Nikola wiped the smirk off of his face as Will turned and glared at him. "It really is for the best Will, if you leave that leg of yours untreated who knows what horrible things could happen to it."

"Oh shut up," Will said and left the room, limping towards the elevator, and Nikola followed him. There was no way he was letting Will escape this time. It had become a game of theirs for the past two days. Nikola would tell Will to sit down so he could look at his injury, and as soon as Nikola's back was turned, Will would take off away from him. Finally, he had gotten fed up enough and had called Helen. "I won't run off this time." The sharpness of Will's tone made Nikola quirk and eyebrow looking at him. "Magnus told me I had to behave."

"You sound so very pleased to be cooperating with me William," Nikola said as he followed Will onto the elevator, hands clasped behind his back, a smirk on his lips. He could just see Will rolling those greenish eyes of his behind the glasses he was currently wearing. The glasses made Will seem like a student, at least in Nikola's opinion. They rode the elevator in silence and when it got the floor, Nikola stepped off waiting for Will before they made their way towards the infirmary area.

Nikola scrubbed his hands and pulled on a pair of gloves, preparing the equipment he would need to examine and possibly treat Will's wound while Will removed his pants. The kid must not have been lying when he said Magnus told him to behave Nikola realized and chuckled as he made his way over to Will who was sitting on a bed, back pressed against the wall. It took every amount of strength not to let his eyes travel over Will's bare legs, or let his mind create images and dreams of secret wants and desires as he went over to Will sitting on the edge of the bed.

The difference in the sheer size of Will's left knee from his right was the first thing Nikola noticed. Will's knee was horribly swollen, red, black and blue, and hot to the touch. Damn it, it was infected. Nikola shook his head, carefully examining the injury, his fingers very lightly touching Will's skin. Any movement of the limb earned a harsh gasp from Will. The area around each cut was red and still oozing blood. How the hell had Will kept this a secret from everyone?! It baffled Nikola to think that Will would have been so incredibly foolish to let it get this so far out of hand. Nikola hooked his foot around the edge of the rolling table that had the medical supplies on it and pulled it closer, picking up a warm, damp cloth.

The instant the cloth touched his knee, Will jerked away from it. Nikola shot him a glare. "Hold still Will, if you move it will just hurt more." The look he received from Will made Nikola think that Will would rather move than let him touch his knee again. "Will," Nikola said using a stern voice, like a parent scolding a small child. Again, another glare from Will, but Will didn't pull away as Nikola started to clean off his knee again. "You should have had this treated sooner Will."

"You don't think I know that?" Will snapped and hissed as the cloth was put back on his knee.

"No, I think you do, I just think that you didn't want people to worry about you. A foolish move William seeing how if this got much worse you probably would have lost the ability to walk on it for an extended period of time. Helen would have wanted to know about this," Nikola explained and silenced followed. Nikola didn't look at Will's face, he knew that what he had said made it through to the boy, but didn't feel the need to confirm it. His hands worked skillfully as he dried the knee and put on the antibiotics over each individual cut.

His sense were going completely crazy, the vampire instincts were telling him to pin Will to the bed and sink his fangs into his neck to drain him of the delicious smelling blood from his body. But he resisted, somehow at least. Nikola put gauze pads over the individual cuts as his stomach churned reminding him that the sooner he covered up the smell, the better. "Can you straighten it for me?"

Will nodded and straightened his leg, allowing Nikola to bandage the entire limb. Not just bandage it, but completely immobilize it. "You are not to put weight on it for the next couple of days. If you must move use crutches," Nikola told him as he stood up, cleaning up the tools. He couldn't look at Will, didn't want to realize the feelings that surely showed in his eyes. "Your bandages will have to be changed twice a day, meaning you'll be seeing a lot more of me William." Nikola looked at him for a moment and Will met his gaze. "Do you need help to get back to your room?"

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"Do you need help to get back to your room?" Will had met Tesla's gaze and felt a rush of panic flood through his entire body. He shook his head in response to the vampire's question and Tesla left the room silently. That look, the need, the animalistic gaze that so many of the more unfriendly residents would have in their eyes when they were caught. Will held his breath till he was sure the vampire was gone and glanced down at his leg. He should say thanks, it would be the polite thing to do.

Will didn't move from the bed, his leg was still throbbing from Tesla's treatment and care of it. The time he stayed there allowed him to think of how to thank the vampire and to just think back over the past couple of days. There were several times when Will was sure that the vampire was staring at him, but he had put it out of his mind, telling himself that it was probably just because of the scent of his blood coming from his knee. But a part of him wondered if there was more to it than that. Will closed his eyes, sliding down into a lying position on the bed and allowed himself to drift off to sleep.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:** Here's the next chapter! Hope you all like it!

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**Chapter Four**

Tesla was avoiding him, that was all there was too it. The vampire was completely avoiding him for no reason and with no explanation whatsoever. Ever since the night when he had treated Will's knee, the vampire had been strangely absent from Will's sight, an occurrence that Will was both startled by and thankful for. It always felt like Tesla was hunting him when he looked at Will with those dark eyes, made him feel like if Tesla wanted he could easily pin Will down and drain him dry. The only thing that made him feel remotely safe was that Will knew that Magnus had gotten Tesla to stop feeding from humans.

As for his knee…the damn thing ached each and every time Will changed the bandages, but it was thankfully becoming easier and easier to walk. The swelling was going down, and, in turn, so was his limp. It made finding the stealthy vampire all the more easier during the thunderstorm. Perfect time to find the creature? Will wasn't sure if it was the smartest idea he had come up with, hell it was probably the stupidest and most idiotic thing he had ever done. Yet, something told him that if he went down into the Sanctuary where the residents live, he would find the vampire. The doors to the elevator opened and Will stepped inside, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he rode down. Again, he thought how stupid it was to be doing this, but as the doors opened Will stepped off and went in search of him.

A frown formed on his lips when he was met with no signs of life except for those residents who were either awake or sleeping, no sign of the vampire. Will checked the first place off his list and went back into the elevator with the eerie feeling that he was being either watched or followed as he rode it back up and got off it once the elevator had stopped. Will nearly checked every place he could think of to find the vampire and by the time he had gotten back to his room, his knee was throbbing. "Damn it," Will muttered and shook his head going back inside his bedroom.

Will froze when his eyes fell upon the form of the vampire standing in front of his window. The feeling of being hunted returned to his body, causing a small shiver to run up and down his spine. "Is there something you need?" Will asked, his arms folded across his chest, making sure that he stayed right by the door, ready to bolt out of it and away from the vampire. Tesla shook his head, but didn't turn to face Will. "Okay…then why the hell have you been avoiding me?" Will snapped. "Because if there isn't a good reason get the hell out of my room."

When Tesla turned to look at Will, Will felt his heart jump. The way that the moonlight fell across the vampire's face, it made him seem surreal as if he wasn't actually standing right there. The eyes that stared at him were predatorily, but Will felt no fear as the pain from an internal struggle came raging to the surface, visible in Tesla's eyes. "I made a promise to her Will. That I would swear off human blood. You cannot even begin to imagine what the scent of your blood; the fresh blood seeping from your wounded leg has been doing to me. I have avoided you for I fear what may happen should I fail to control myself and prevent my instincts from taking over." Will took a step back when Tesla suddenly appeared in front of him, one hand stroking his cheek. "The urge to hold you down, to sink my fangs into your neck, to savor your life giving blood, has been driving me completely mad. I was avoiding you while I sated my hunger with that of animals." The hand fell and Will stared wide eyed at Tesla. "Because I would never hurt someone Helen holds close to her heart, as she does you." The vampire stepped back. "Tomorrow, I will reexamine your knee, and see what I can do about getting you on a program to rebuild the strength in it. Have a good night dear William."

As suddenly as the vampire had appeared in front of him, he was gone, leaving Will standing in his bedroom alone. The skin where Tesla had touched him was cool, tingling, and Will's heart was racing, trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.

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Nikola was fairly certain he shouldn't have just done what he had, that he shouldn't have admitted to Will what was going on, and that he shouldn't have touched him. If Helen didn't find out somehow when she got back from her trip, it would surprise Nikola thoroughly and deeply. His mind was racing as it had not in a very long while, and a part of him had wanted to… Nikola shook his head. The last thing he needed was the image of Will pressing his lips to his own. It was the last thing that he wanted to think about.

He found himself outside staring up at the darkened night sky and the moon, as he had been earlier in Will's room. Nikola found himself needing to remind himself that he was a vampire, one of the most elite abnormals ever to have existed on earth, that he didn't need to feel like this about someone lesser than him. But was Will that? Was he lesser than himself? Of course he was, he was only human, unlike Helen. His mind jumped to her, the object of his hearts desire again and fought to keep it that way, to keep his mind from straying back to thoughts of her protégé. It was a place that Will did not want to travel to, that he didn't want to even begin to think about or realize. He had to focus on the task at hand; getting Will back to his full functionality, then return to his research. And he prayed to god that Helen would return to the Sanctuary soon.

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